Child of God, Army wife, mom to 6, MOPS volunteer, history buff and book addict.

We are a family of 8 living the ups and downs that come with military life. Our children range in age from 20 to 6 - five girls and one boy.We have 2 dogs, 3 cats and a horse for good measure.We homeschool (on good days) and embrace every day as it comes!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Almost missed it again! Fridays just seem to get away from me. That and the fact that we were out way too late last night (I took four of the kiddos to Military Night at the Last Chance Stampede and Rodeo and didn't get back to town until 1am) and got up way too early this morning (to meet a Blue Angel pilot - so worth it). I am exhausted and may have to sleep in tomorrow to catch up.

Abby and the really cool, super awesome Blue Angel pilot

In case you missed the last post, I am getting ready to fly out to Nashville for the MOPS International Convention, so I will be MIA for a week or so. I am actually going to be on stage in front of 3,000 or so women and would love your prayers. I hope to see many of you there!

And now for the MilSpouse Friday Fill-in, hosted as always, by the amazing Wife of a Sailor:

Facebook or Twitter?

I use Twitter for ‘work’, but I love Facebook. It is so much more personal. I spend way too much time on Facebook and probably need detox and a 12 step program.

Hard Tacos or Soft Tacos?

Hard. Love the crunch.

Gardening or crafting?

Neither. I hate crafts with a passion. I avoid craft stores, lest I end up in the fetal position rocking back in forth in the isle. Too many chances for injury with all those paper cutters and glue guns…

While I don’t garden, the Little Soldier (11) has one every year. He has a blast and we are getting ready to have fresh cabbage with dinner when he gets home from camp.

Fruit or vegetables?

Vegetables. However, I have been trying to make myself eat more fruit.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

I know I totally missed out on Military Friday this past week. At this point in deployment, the days all kind of run together and I basically forgot what day it was. (Two trips to the doctor with different kids didn't help.) I am so ready to be done with this and I guess you could say that we are in the home stretch, I just hope I make it to the end. I have decided that the children are in a conspiracy to see me locked in a padded room, sucking on Valium lollipops, before their father comes home.

Thankfully, I will be leaving next week to go to Nashville for MOPS Convention. I am looking forward to working with the moms, hearing all the amazing speakers and singers and - imagine this - actually having kid free time. But most of all, I can't wait to see my friends that I only get to see a couple of times a year. I am blessed to be a part of such an amazing group.

So forgive the blogging absence, but I am going to be busy spending as much time as possible with my girls - hoping that it is enough to last us until next year.

Prices change often and without notice. Books are usually only free for a limited time. Always check the price before clicking 'download'.

You can read these books, even if you don't have a Kindle, by downloading the free app for your computer or phone. For a full list of apps, please click here. If you have been holding off on getting a Kindle, Amazon now has a reduced price one with special offers (i.e. ads on your screensaver) for only $114.

Please consider following my blog on Google Friend Connect or by 'liking' my Facebook page. I will post books as soon as I find them on Facebook and they aren't always free long enough to make it to the blog.

If you download a book, please 'Share the Love' by using the buttons below each post to let your friends know. And please leave a comment, I love to hear from you!

If you enjoy the free book posts, please consider shopping through my links when you do purchase from Amazon. The small commission I receive for your purchase helps me justify all the time I spend on this blog to my Soldier! Thanks :)

Amazon currently has a huge sale going on, with lots of books $3.99 and less. I have been posting the Christian published books on my Facebook page. Please come over and 'like' the page to see all of the great finds (with many only $.99!).

Friday, July 15, 2011

Here they are with their very cool HP
scarves that the 'cool mom' ordered
them for Christmas from Hooking Geek

I know I am a little late to the party today, but I have been trying to be the fun parent during deployment (usually the Soldier's job) and took the 10 & 11 year old monsters to the midnight showing of Harry Potter. There is going to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth when the 13 year old & 15 year old get home from camp and 4H Congress and find out we went without them.

They are still in shock this morning and can't wait to tell dad that mom is most likely ill or losing her mind - or maybe has been replaced by a way nicer clone. I am so tired that I am going to need a six pack of diet coke to make through the afternoon.

As much fun as I have been having, I can't wait for the Soldier to come home and take his job back over. Being the fun parent is exhausting!

If you are a regular looking for the latest free ebooks, they are here and here. (Don't forget to double check the prices, they change frequently).

I love celebrating Fridays with my fellow MilSpouses. I am thankful to be part of a community that supports each other, even in the bloggy world. If you are a MilSpouse, we would love to have you join us. Link up with the MilSpouse Friday Fill-in at Wife of a Sailor and the MilSpouse Weekly Roundup today at The Science of Missing You.

My favorite singer is Anthony Kearns. Yes, most of my friends think I am crazy (the Soldier does too) and the kids complain that it is all we ever listen too (it isn't, but close), but he has an amazing voice and can sing just about anything - from Opera to Broadway to Irish folk songs. (Go ahead, click and listen. I will wait.) I would love to see a solo show of his again and since it is a private show, do I get to pick the songs too? The Soldier did get me tickets to see his latest opera for my birthday and I am very excited!

I write. I have been paid a few times for articles like this one: How to Help a Mom During Deployment. I also do the occasional product testing and I clip a mean coupon. When I am actually grocery shopping (see #5), we save at least $100 a month with coupons.

3) During your pregnancy (whether past, present, or future), what did you nickname your unborn baby before you knew the sex? submitted by Explosions of Love

Out of six, we only found out the sex of two of them during pregnancy. One was when they told us it was a boy (we didn’t believe them and still didn’t have a name until after he was born) and then with the last one (surprise!) and she was a week old before we had a name for her. We called her Bob for a while… No nicknames during pregnancy though. It was just the ‘baby’ or the alien taking over my body.

4) Have you ever won a blog giveaway? If so what did you win? submitted by Mrs. O’s Life

I have won a few. One was a DVD for the kids and one was a book on talking to your kids about sex. Yeah, we need that with all the teenagers we have. I also won an Amazon gift certificate from a really cool blog that I have been trying to find again. I lost all my favorites when my computer crashed.

5) If I looked into your refrigerator right now, what would I find? submitted by Married to the Army

Not a lot. It is time to go to the commissary again, only my Suburban died on the bridge last week and they want $800 to fix the fuel pump. (May was the water heater, June was my laptop and July is the car. I pray I get a break in August!) I wonder how much it would cost me to send the 18yo to do the shopping? Today, there are a couple of eggs, half a bottle of apple juice, a few red bell peppers, ketchup and some ribs defrosting. Dinner is going to be interesting to say the least. Maybe since it is payday, I will spring for a $5 pizza at Little Caesars - fun mom and all...

If you are stopping by for the latest free and bargain Kindle downloads, please click here.

1) Does yourSignificant Other read your blog? Why is this a good or a bad thing? submitted by Mrs. Alana’s Miscellany

He does, it is one way he gets a glimpse into life here while he is so far away. Not a bad thing, as I don’t have secrets from him and try not to embarrass him too often.

2) What is one item in your house that holds the most sentimental value and why? submitted by The Albrecht Squad

Tough question… I am not really sure. We have wonderful pictures and scrapbooks that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. They mean a lot to me, I love history and knowing where we came from is fascinating. I also have my father’s saddle, which he had made over 30 years ago and that is very special to me.

Sourth Uist Scotland liv.ac.uk/~agmclen

3) When it comes to water fun in the summer do you prefer the beach, the pool, a lake, or the sprinklers? submitted by The Tervo Times

I would love the beach, but we live too far away. My favorite spot is Dash Point in the Seattle area. I miss living there. Someday though, I want to walk on the beaches of Ireland and Scotland where my great-great grandmother and grandfather would have walked.

4) What is the one special thing that you do for yourself to get you through the first week of a deployment? submitted by A Creed and a Psalm

Nothing special. I am usually just trying to survive six overly emotional children while trying not to be a mess myself.

Prices change often and without notice. Books are usually only free for a limited time. Always check the price before clicking 'download'.

You can read these books, even if you don't have a Kindle, by downloading the free app for your computer or phone. For a full list of apps, please click here. If you have been holding off on getting a Kindle, Amazon now has a reduced price one with special offers (i.e. ads on your screensaver) for only $114.

Please consider following my blog on Google Friend Connect or by 'liking' my Facebook page. I will post books as soon as I find them on Facebook and they aren't always free long enough to make it to the blog.

If you download a book, please 'Share the Love' by using the buttons below each post to let your friends know. And please leave a comment, I love to hear from you!

If you enjoy the free book posts, please consider shopping through my links when you do purchase from Amazon. The small commission I receive for your purchase helps me justify all the time I spend on this blog to my Soldier! Thanks :)